Chayote, Yam and Fresh Clam Meat Soup

Why people make this soup

Come summer, the combination of high heat and heavy humidity puts the body under real strain. Nourilo particularly likes this soup because chayote is one of the mildest and most nutritionally well-rounded of the summer gourds — it is a good choice even for people who normally worry that gourd vegetables are too cooling for their constitution. Paired with yam and the distinctive umami of fresh clam meat, the soup comes out clear, savoury, and genuinely satisfying.

Traditionally, this combination is associated with helping the body manage heat and dampness — concepts in Chinese food-therapy referring to a state where the body retains fluids inappropriately and runs “too warm.” It is also considered supportive for the eyes. People who frequently experience a bitter taste in the mouth, dryness in the throat, or a sense of internal warmth tend to reach for soups like this in the warmer months.

Method

1. Peel the chayote and cut into chunks. (It is also fine to leave the skin on if scrubbed thoroughly.)
2. Rinse and soak the dried Chinese yam for 15 minutes. Pit the red dates.
3. Rinse the fresh clam meat, then blanch briefly in boiling water and drain.
4. Place all ingredients into a pot with 2.1 L of water.
5. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a medium-low simmer. Cook for 1 hour until the liquid reduces to approximately 1.2 L.
6. Serve, drinking the broth and eating the solid ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

Clam meat nourishes yin and is particularly beneficial for the eyes. The yellow-fleshed variety tends to be thicker and more flavourful. If using frozen clam meat instead of fresh, a good-quality product will yield a similar flavour and comparable food-therapy effect — just not quite as sweet as fresh clams cooked in the shell. If you plan to stir-fry or steam clam meat rather than use it in a soup, add more shredded ginger and a little rice wine, which helps moderate the cooling nature of the shellfish.